Fund A Cure in Memory of Kirsten Swanz | Breakthrough T1D Buffalo Gala 2026

Kirsten’s Story

My daughter was ten years old in 1992 when her childhood changed forever.

Kirsten had lost quite a bit of weight and was very fatigued which was a red flag for me to call our family doctor. He ordered blood work and had to be the one to call me with the results that she was showing all the signs of Type 1 Diabetes. We were sent immediately to the hospital to meet with a pediatric endocrinologist. I will never forget the doctor looking at me and in front of my ten year old little girl delivering this message; “your daughter has a chronic disease. It is called Type 1 diabetes. She could die from it.” She was only ten, but she heard every word and those words never left her. Both of our lives changed that day.

The first day in the hospital while trying to regulate Kirsten’s blood sugars, she had a full-blown seizure. The hospital staff gave her too much insulin. I was numb and full of fear. How was I going to keep my daughter from dying? We were sent home with syringes, strips for checking urine, lancets for finger sticks, insulin and a glucagon kit. We followed all the instructions.

Before that day Kirsten’s life was carefree, after that day, her life became numbers. Blood sugars, insulin doses, food calculation, and constant monitoring of blood sugars with finger sticks.

In 1992, managing Type 1 diabetes looked very different than it does today.

There were no continuous glucose monitors alerting you to dangers of highs or lows. No smart insulin pumps automatically adjusting insulin. Routine blood sugar checks meant sticking her finger at least six times a day. Every meal meant guessing and calculating. Nights meant setting alarms to make sure she was safe while sleeping. I remember Kirsten saying to me, “Mom, I just wish for one day I did not have to live this way”

Her life became a roller coaster of highs and lows. There were times we fought through seizures. Times when we faced diabetic ketoacidosis. Every day felt like balancing a tightrope. Even when she tried her best managing the physical part of her diabetes, she struggled with the emotional part of not feeling normal. Her appointments with her doctors were always about her A1C focusing on the illness. Rarely did anyone stop and ask “How are you doing?”

In college she wanted to be normal. She wanted independence, late nights and freedom from the constant reminder of her illness. But diabetes NEVER takes a day off. Over time the highs and lows began to take a toll on her body and over the next ten years serious complications developed. The last two years of her life were filled with hospitals, treatments, and a level of strength no young person should ever have to show. Kirsten passed away at age 28 years young.

The technology available to children diagnosed today gives them a better chance of a long and more manageable life.

Continuous glucose monitors, advanced insulin pumps and new research are transforming what daily life with this chronic illness can look like. Breakthrough T1D is pushing research forward everyday working toward better treatments and One Day a Cure.

My daughter did not have the technology that many children have today. But her story is one of the reasons that progress matters so much. If today’s technologies and treatment were available in 1992 Kirsten’s life story would be much different. She would still be with us today.

No child should grow up believing their life will always be a battle with numbers. No parent should hear that their child could die and feel powerless.

If sharing Kirsten’s story helps even one child live a safer, healthier life with T1D, then her life and her fight continues to matter.

That is why awareness matters. That is why research matters. And that is why we must keep going until one day there is a CURE. My Daughter always loved a rainbow. To her it meant hope and light. You as the donors continue to bring that light and hope to all children and families who live with T1D.

To all of the Donors and the T1D Foundation, thank you for your continued support and for being that Rainbow of Light and Hope. One day there will be a Cure for Type One Diabetes.

Written by Peggy Swanz